ACC Insider - Kelly needs encore after triumphant return fades

Published: Thursday, March 28, 2013 at 11:05 p.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, March 28, 2013 at 11:05 p.m.

INDIANAPOLIS | Ryan Kelly made 10 of 14 shots, including seven of his nine 3-pointers, against Miami on March 2 in his first game back from a foot injury that cost him most of the ACC schedule.

It was a 36-point performance his coach Mike Krzyzewski called “one for the ages.”

Kelly was a little less dramatic when asked what had happened that glorious afternoon at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

“I’ve just been saving them up,” the Duke forward joked.

If that’s the case, he might have been wise not to use all of his stockpiled baskets in one game. As accurate as Kelly’s shooting touch was in that first outing against the Hurricanes and the opening 20 minutes of the following Senior Night win against Virginia Tech, it has gotten progressively worse since.

The 6-foot-10 senior has made only 10 of 33 field goal attempts over the past 4½ games and comes into Friday’s NCAA Midwest Region semifinal matchup with Michigan State having missed his last 14 3-point shots.

It’s a shooting slump that has Blue Devils fans more than just a little concerned, even though his teammates – at least publicly – don’t seem to be as bothered by it.

“His shot is going to come,” senior center Mason Plumlee said. “People have been talking about how he hasn’t hit shots, but he’s hitting them in practice. It’s just a matter of time.”

The problem is that this isn’t the time of year to be patient about anything, least of all a key player who isn’t contributing as much as normal.

It doesn’t take much in the one-and-done setting of the NCAA tournament for a season to come to a sudden, heart-breaking end. That’s especially true against a talented, physical opponent like Michigan State.

If Kelly isn’t hitting from the perimeter, the Spartans will be able to sag more of their big, wide-bodied defenders inside on Plumlee, making life difficult for him on both ends of the court and potentially leading to foul trouble.

Kelly said Thursday that he’s not worried about either his shot or his once-injured foot, which he claims is 100 percent healthy. But as a three-time ACC All-Academic selection majoring in public policy, he’s smart enough to know that his team needs him to be better than he’s been lately.

“Obviously when I came back, the ball certainly went in the basket,” he said. “That happens sometimes, and sometimes the ball doesn’t go in the basket. But I’m confident in my shot and I always believe I’m going to make the next one.”

In Kelly’s defense, while his foot might be back to where it was earlier in the season, his stamina probably isn’t.

“There was divine intervention when he came back for the first Miami game,” Krzyzewski said. “Since then his body has told him ‘Hey, I know we’re in March, but you’re body’s in October. Maybe he’s in December with his body.’”

Kelly was fit enough to shadow Creighton All-America Doug McDermott around the court for 40 minutes in Duke’s second-round win in Philadelphia last Sunday.

Although he scored only one point on 0-for-5 shooting, Kelly’s defense on McDermott was hailed as one of the deciding factors in the Blue Devils’ 66-50 victory.

“I thought Ryan played a great game against Creighton,” Krzyzewski said. “He played a very tough, disciplined game. It’s tough to be a real good scorer with tired legs, and when you’re playing that well defensively you’re exerting a lot. My feeling is he’ll be fine. He’s allowed to shoot.”

Krzyzewski’s confidence comes from four years of watching a lot of those shots find their mark.

The Blue Devils’ co-captain once made 18 consecutive field goal attempts (including seven 3-pointers) during a torrid stretch last season. And he’s still shooting 46.4 percent from 3-point range this year.

Despite his recent struggles, it’s not unreasonable to expect Kelly to break through with a performance that – if not for the ages – is good enough to help Duke extend its season beyond Friday.

Especially if he’s been saving up his baskets for an important occasion like the Sweet 16.

<p>INDIANAPOLIS | Ryan Kelly made 10 of 14 shots, including seven of his nine 3-pointers, against Miami on March 2 in his first game back from a foot injury that cost him most of the ACC schedule.</p><p>It was a 36-point performance his coach Mike Krzyzewski called “one for the ages.”</p><p>Kelly was a little less dramatic when asked what had happened that glorious afternoon at Cameron Indoor Stadium.</p><p>“I've just been saving them up,” the Duke forward joked.</p><p>If that's the case, he might have been wise not to use all of his stockpiled baskets in one game. As accurate as Kelly's shooting touch was in that first outing against the Hurricanes and the opening 20 minutes of the following Senior Night win against Virginia Tech, it has gotten progressively worse since.</p><p>The 6-foot-10 senior has made only 10 of 33 field goal attempts over the past 4½ games and comes into Friday's NCAA Midwest Region semifinal matchup with Michigan State having missed his last 14 3-point shots.</p><p>It's a shooting slump that has Blue Devils fans more than just a little concerned, even though his teammates – at least publicly – don't seem to be as bothered by it.</p><p>“His shot is going to come,” senior center Mason Plumlee said. “People have been talking about how he hasn't hit shots, but he's hitting them in practice. It's just a matter of time.”</p><p>The problem is that this isn't the time of year to be patient about anything, least of all a key player who isn't contributing as much as normal.</p><p>It doesn't take much in the one-and-done setting of the NCAA tournament for a season to come to a sudden, heart-breaking end. That's especially true against a talented, physical opponent like Michigan State.</p><p>If Kelly isn't hitting from the perimeter, the Spartans will be able to sag more of their big, wide-bodied defenders inside on Plumlee, making life difficult for him on both ends of the court and potentially leading to foul trouble.</p><p>Kelly said Thursday that he's not worried about either his shot or his once-injured foot, which he claims is 100 percent healthy. But as a three-time ACC All-Academic selection majoring in public policy, he's smart enough to know that his team needs him to be better than he's been lately.</p><p>“Obviously when I came back, the ball certainly went in the basket,” he said. “That happens sometimes, and sometimes the ball doesn't go in the basket. But I'm confident in my shot and I always believe I'm going to make the next one.”</p><p>In Kelly's defense, while his foot might be back to where it was earlier in the season, his stamina probably isn't.</p><p>“There was divine intervention when he came back for the first Miami game,” Krzyzewski said. “Since then his body has told him 'Hey, I know we're in March, but you're body's in October. Maybe he's in December with his body.'”</p><p>Kelly was fit enough to shadow Creighton All-America Doug McDermott around the court for 40 minutes in Duke's second-round win in Philadelphia last Sunday.</p><p>Although he scored only one point on 0-for-5 shooting, Kelly's defense on McDermott was hailed as one of the deciding factors in the Blue Devils' 66-50 victory.</p><p>“I thought Ryan played a great game against Creighton,” Krzyzewski said. “He played a very tough, disciplined game. It's tough to be a real good scorer with tired legs, and when you're playing that well defensively you're exerting a lot. My feeling is he'll be fine. He's allowed to shoot.”</p><p>Krzyzewski's confidence comes from four years of watching a lot of those shots find their mark.</p><p>The Blue Devils' co-captain once made 18 consecutive field goal attempts (including seven 3-pointers) during a torrid stretch last season. And he's still shooting 46.4 percent from 3-point range this year. </p><p>Despite his recent struggles, it's not unreasonable to expect Kelly to break through with a performance that – if not for the ages – is good enough to help Duke extend its season beyond Friday.</p><p>Especially if he's been saving up his baskets for an important occasion like the Sweet 16.</p><p> </p><p>ACC Insider <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/topic24"><b>Brett Friedlander</b></a> can be reached at starnewsacc@gmail.com.</p>